Has KG gone too far (Charlie Villanueva comments) Update KG's response

[Fafnir]

I think KG crossed the line a long time ago. From what I've heard from people who've been courtside he pulls no punches. I'm surprised he hasn't had anyone waiting outside the locker room for him. Charlie V is going to get it tonight for whining all he's done is let KG no he's gotten to him.

From what I've seen on TV with the cursing the whole time he's been in Boston, I don't think KG ever acknowledged there was a line.

Dude has a filthy mouth.

[GreenFaith1819]

For Fafnir and Hila:

I'm 99% sure that the Legends that I mentioned (Larry, Michael) never went as far as joking about someone's medical condition. That's off-limits to me.

Why are you so sure? MJ was obsessed with winning, would make up slights to motivate himself, punched a teammate in practice, and was legendary for his trash talk. Bird was certainly no saint himself. Got into bar fights before playoff games and a whole book full of other interpersonal troubles.

What reasons do you have to think he wouldn't make fun of someone's appearance. Especially when it obviously go to Charlie V, which is the whole point of trash talk.

Fafnir- that is the 2nd time you've asked me that question. I answered you already.

It evidently was not the answer you wanted, but it is how I chose to answer you.

I'm sure that if Larry, Michael or any other legend crossed the line like that, they'd be looked at differently.

[jarufu]

KG: +24
CV:  -13

[Fafnir]

For Fafnir and Hila:

I'm 99% sure that the Legends that I mentioned (Larry, Michael) never went as far as joking about someone's medical condition. That's off-limits to me.

Why are you so sure? MJ was obsessed with winning, would make up slights to motivate himself, punched a teammate in practice, and was legendary for his trash talk. Bird was certainly no saint himself. Got into bar fights before playoff games and a whole book full of other interpersonal troubles.

What reasons do you have to think he wouldn't make fun of someone's appearance. Especially when it obviously go to Charlie V, which is the whole point of trash talk.

Fafnir- that is the 2nd time you've asked me that question. I answered you already.

It evidently was not the answer you wanted, but it is how I chose to answer you.

I'm sure that if Larry, Michael or any other legend crossed the line like that, they'd be looked at differently.

You haven't answered it beyond wishful thinking.

As a counter-example, Karl Malone is still revered as a great player, he's a pretty terrible person. Look up accounts of what he said to Kobe's wife, about women, about AIDs patients, and look up the story of his daughter.

[moiso]

Twitter is part of life now, so get used to it.  KG's comments are way over the line to me.  Diseases should be off limits.  That's pretty classless on KG's part.  I don't see how Bird saying merry christmas relates to this.

So if Cuttino Mobley was signed by another team, would KG be excused by Celtics fans for saying "I hope you drop dead of a heart attack" and stuff like that?  It's just wrong and there is no excuse.  

How about other players picking on Ray Allen for his son's diabetes?  It's really all on the same level.

[Fafnir]

KG: +24
CV:  -13

Which in the end is what KG will really be judged by, and what fans care about.

[moiso]

For Fafnir and Hila:

I'm 99% sure that the Legends that I mentioned (Larry, Michael) never went as far as joking about someone's medical condition. That's off-limits to me.

Why are you so sure? MJ was obsessed with winning, would make up slights to motivate himself, punched a teammate in practice, and was legendary for his trash talk. Bird was certainly no saint himself. Got into bar fights before playoff games and a whole book full of other interpersonal troubles.

What reasons do you have to think he wouldn't make fun of someone's appearance. Especially when it obviously go to Charlie V, which is the whole point of trash talk.

Fafnir- that is the 2nd time you've asked me that question. I answered you already.

It evidently was not the answer you wanted, but it is how I chose to answer you.

I'm sure that if Larry, Michael or any other legend crossed the line like that, they'd be looked at differently.

You haven't answered it beyond wishful thinking.

As a counter-example, Karl Malone is still revered as a great player, he's a pretty terrible person. Look up accounts of what he said to Kobe's wife, about women, about AIDs patients, and look up the story of his daughter.

And look at all the cancer patients he spent time with and treated to games, all the time and money he spent for Katrina victims.  It's not that simple.  Everybody does good and bad things.  Karl did a lot of good.

[Drucci]

Classless comment from KG and over the line, I'm not really surprised though. I agree that it has to be replaced in the context of an heated game. It doesn't excuse anything or give KG a free pass but it is definitely not the same in the context.

As it was mentioned before it's pretty lame from Villanueva to whine about it on Twitter, he should have done what he has said he would gladly to KG after the game. Have some guts if you try to be tough.

As for the "athletes can't be considered role models" part I really don't understand. What's a role model exactly? A guy supposed to be perfect in every way, always polite and respectable? Nobody is like that, I don't see why athletes should be considered like that, they're no different from us expect than they earn millions of dollars and are omnipresent in the media.

[Jon Niednagel]

CV should be honored that KG thought enough of him to think he was worth trash talking.

[Celtzfan8617]

Blown out of proportion...

[Chris]

I could care less about what KG says on the court.  It is pretty petty for Charlie to then try to put it out in public to make him look bad though.  My guess is if even a fraction of what is said on the court were to be made public, everyone would be shocked.

[Fafnir]

For Fafnir and Hila:

I'm 99% sure that the Legends that I mentioned (Larry, Michael) never went as far as joking about someone's medical condition. That's off-limits to me.

Why are you so sure? MJ was obsessed with winning, would make up slights to motivate himself, punched a teammate in practice, and was legendary for his trash talk. Bird was certainly no saint himself. Got into bar fights before playoff games and a whole book full of other interpersonal troubles.

What reasons do you have to think he wouldn't make fun of someone's appearance. Especially when it obviously go to Charlie V, which is the whole point of trash talk.

Fafnir- that is the 2nd time you've asked me that question. I answered you already.

It evidently was not the answer you wanted, but it is how I chose to answer you.

I'm sure that if Larry, Michael or any other legend crossed the line like that, they'd be looked at differently.

You haven't answered it beyond wishful thinking.

As a counter-example, Karl Malone is still revered as a great player, he's a pretty terrible person. Look up accounts of what he said to Kobe's wife, about women, about AIDs patients, and look up the story of his daughter.

And look at all the cancer patients he spent time with and treated to games, all the time and money he spent for Katrina victims.  It's not that simple.  Everybody does good and bad things.  Karl did a lot of good.

That's largely my point, just because someone is a legend at basketball doesn't mean they couldn't possibly have said something out of line during a basketball game.

[Fafnir]

I could care less about what KG says on the court.  It is pretty petty for Charlie to then try to put it out in public to make him look bad though.  My guess is if even a fraction of what is said on the court were to be made public, everyone would be shocked.

I'd love to read just one game of what Gary Payton used to be saying.

That guy never stopped talking, ever!

[mmbaby]

I don't care how awesome of a player someone is - if he is a petty, rude and nasty person off or on the court, I don't like him.

[bdm860]

First off, as I former cancer patient, I want to point out I take absolutely NO offense to what KG said.  He said absolutely nothing offensive.  It's about as offensive as saying the refs are blind (which is said all the time).  Is that offensive to all blind people?

And while technically what Villanueva has is a disease, it's harmless.  The only thing that disease causes is hair loss.  It is as harmful of a disease as color blindness or male pattern baldness.  Villanueva is a 20-something year old multimillionaire.  Is he still sensitive about it?  I mean if KG said this to a little kid, ok that's insensitive, to an adult, not so much.  If KG (who shaves is head, maybe balding?) said that to someone who is suffering from male pattern baldness (which is labeled as alopecia the same disease family as alopecia universalis which is what Villanueva has) would it still be so insensitive?  Both are technically diseases.